Democracy Beyond Borders

Justice and Representation in Global Institutions

Andrew Kuper

Tackles one of the most pressing issues of our time: how to tame and harness globalization

Uses a political theory to provide compelling and practical recommendations for the reform of the UN, world courts, and other major institutions

Important analysis of new actors on the world stage, such as corporations and NGOs, which are receiving ever-increasing attention in international affairs and national politics

Specifies important roles for anti-corruption agencies and other 'advocacy and accountability agencies' - a crucial issue after Enron and other scandals

Democracy Beyond Borders

Justice and Representation in Global Institutions

Andrew Kuper

Description

Global institutions exercise unprecedented power, yet they are often unaccountable to the people they claim to serve. From the hallowed halls of the United Nations to the closed boardrooms of multinational corporations, decisions are made that impact on all our lives, but are not necessarily governed by democratic principles. How can we ensure that global leaders act responsively and effectively in the interests of global citizens? How can global institutions be transformed to create security and development for all? In this lucid and provocative book, Andrew Kuper provides compelling and practical answers.

Democracy Beyond Borders begins with a reassessment of the basic philosophical foundations of global order. In a critical dialogue with John Rawls and Jurgen Habermas, the world's most influential political philosophers, Kuper exposes the flawed assumption that nation-states should be the only fundamental political units. He develops instead a theory of global justice that also harnesses the capabilities of non-state actors - such as corporations, non-governmental organizations, and civil society networks. The book shows how these powerful actors can be brought into "multi-level governance" with states as key partners for change.

Yet in the absence of global elections, how can these actors be made accountable for their policies and actions? Kuper presents a startling and original theory of representation to answer this challenge. He articulates a new separation of powers, where different global actors check and balance one another in a complex harmony. This radical yet feasible vision makes it possible to recommend far-reaching reforms to the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, the United Nations, and advocacy agencies such as Transparency International, among others.

Impressive in its scope and inventiveness, Democracy Beyond Borders stands at the forefront of a new generation of political thought, for which globalization is the challenge and deepening democracy the solution.

Democracy Beyond Borders

Justice and Representation in Global Institutions

Andrew Kuper

Author Information

Andrew Kuper, Managing Director, Ashoka - Innovators for the Public

Democracy Beyond Borders

Justice and Representation in Global Institutions

Andrew Kuper

Reviews and Awards

Review from previous edition Andrew Kuper addresses a very important dichotomy in the contemporary world in which the global economic relations are very inadequately matched by global political organization of a democratic kind. In 'Democracy Beyond Borders', Kuper proposes a way of thinking about this challenge which deserves serious attention. The demands of global justice call for many institutional reforms, and Kuper's proposal represents a significant initiative in this critically important field. - Amartya Sen, Lamont University Professor, Harvard University

Democracy Beyond Borders boldly argues for a cosmopolitan political philosophy with specific institutional implications. Andrew Kuper develops an original theory claiming that a plurality of institutions could form the basis for a system of global governance not shackled to obsolete statist assumptions. Anyone interested in the politics and ethics of institutional design should read this admirable and innovative book. - Robert O. Keohane, James B. Duke Professor of Political Science, Duke University

In this ambitious first work, Andrew Kuper employs the range and rigor of political philosophy to rethink its traditional concepts and aspirations for the politics of the 21st century. He concretely envisions new institutional forms that would enhance the expertise and political influence at citizens' disposal. In multiple ways, these innovations would make power more responsive to those over whom it is exercised. Kuper provides learned and usable political guidance to those who can affect the emerging institutional structures of our globalizing world. - Thomas Pogge, Professor of Philosophy, Columbia University